


The Robot and the Stars

by JackieSBlake7



Category: The City and the Stars
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:48:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22463602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackieSBlake7/pseuds/JackieSBlake7
Summary: Events from the point of view of the Master's robot
Kudos: 1





	The Robot and the Stars

The Robot and the Stars

The Master had not given his robot a name – but had sometimes called it his friend, so it accepted the designation. When it had been left with the Giant Polyp on the planet Earth, the robot had accepted that the relationship between the two of them when the other was in active mode could be described as friendship. There were occasional visits by members of the Master's species, but they did no more than try and engage with it, and left on being unsuccessful.

It did not know when, or if, the Great Ones would ever come – but the Master had said that anyone who came and engaged with the robot might well be able to lead it to them. The time spent waiting was used to analyse the changes over the local area and beyond as the geological periods passed – and also to monitor any trace of communications from those who had gone to “the edge of the universe”, and the Mad Mind and Vanamonde. The robot was able to access what Vanamonde was learning on occasion – the Master had arranged for some means of doing so, but whether that entity was yet aware of the robot was another matter. There were distant traces of other such entities – whether and when they would make communications across the vast distances of intergalactic space was not clear.

Eventually two persons that were recognisably human, though somewhat physically different to those in the robot’s databases, with a companion that was of an insect origin, came to visit. Following various discussions authority over the robot was transferred to the human called Alvin, who reacted as one used to technology. From what the robot could access of Alvin’s mind – he regarded such superficial interaction in the background as normal – he came from a city based on advanced technology and where there would be advanced computers. Enabling Alvin to return to the city, unaffected by the preferences of the less technologically advance community which also remained on Earth, was in the robot’s interests, so Alvin’s request to protect him was allowed.

The main computer running Diasper was able to create an illusion for the robot of what the return of the Great Ones that was sufficiently impressive to override the Master’s programming. It seemed that Alvin felt that the robot would resent the “trickery” involved – an interesting concept. That the robot might have resented the Master’s imposition and would want the same freedom to explore as he, and also interact with the main computers was something that would be explained to him if he did not realise it.

Alvin wanted to make use of the Master’s spaceship, which was still viable after the very long time that had passed. The robot was now “back where it belonged” – it had been developed in part in order to survey the galaxy and find places for the Master to go and spread his message. They went to the Seven Suns, a constructed constellation, once the hub of galactic communications and left as a beacon for those who remained – there were, seemingly, other such in what remained of the universe. There were computer-deep-storage-units on some of the worlds, which contained information on previous visits by a seemingly random selection of visiting spaceships, and the robot added a message. The robot wondered whether the records would ever be accessed again – from its scans of interstellar networks it appeared that there was little if any communications at present. Perhaps it would be around when there was another long flowering of sentience across the galaxy – which would probably be before the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies would merge.

They returned to Earth, where the robot’s human companions decided to remain – though Alvin requested that information on spaceship construction be transferred to Diasper’s central computers, which was done. It was known that the Earth would eventually become uninhabitable so a means of transfer of life currently on Earth to somewhere else still viable was necessary. The central computers asked for a current geological survey of Earth and the Solar System’s other planets and bodies which had been utilised by humans at various points in their history. This was done, including providing details of surviving technology and necessary minerals and other resources, while the robot was provided with what information was available on the Master.

Then Alvin made requests of the robot and gave it a quest that it approved of. He explained something of the history of humanity and how “the peoples of the universe” had gone in search of something at the universe’s edge, as it was described in the records available to Vanamonde. He was not certain whether “whoever-whatever” had contributed to the concept of the Great Ones, but felt that investigating what had happened was the most appropriate use of the robot and the ship, and would fulfil the Master’s vision. With help from Diasper’s computers and technological resources the spaceship was given improvements and information to aid the quest.

Some components of the Great Polyp were transferred to the ship once the holding area it had used on the journey to Earth had been suitably upgraded: the rest of the colony of component creatures would remain on Earth for the present - this was one of the ways in which the species could increase in number.

The robot left Earth again – possibly to return in the very distant future, partly with the intent of helping Vanamonde with its activities against the Mad Mind should that yet be necessary; it would gather information on the regions of the universe and help other peoples that it found.  
It had not told Alvin about the Master’s parting comments – that whoever had the desire and the resources to free the robot from its constraints was the Master’s heir, and would provide it with the means for carrying on his work.


End file.
